When Reviewing Brothers Grimm...

When I started my review for the exam, I wanted to go back over the stories from Brothers Grimm and partially because they were absolutely entertaining to read. As I re-read Rumpelstiltskin, I though it was insanely interesting to analyze the weird contrasts between the Brothers Grimm version and the version from Once Upon A Time. First, of all, can we just acknowledge the creepy and sketchy Dark One is in the Once Upon A Time version and how much of a freaking jerk he was. That was so rude and disrespectful making Rumpelstiltskin kiss his boot and practically bow down to him in front of his son. I would be so ashamed and unbelievably embarrassed. It is really crazy to see the difference in the stories as well....one is somewhat like a Disney type, where there is a problem presented and someone prevails in the end. While the Once Upon A Time version is all hardcore and medieval- they oddly enough complete very different tasks or "adventures" to gain what they want in the end. As well, Rumpelstiltskin ultimately wants different things in both stories. In the  Once Upon A Time version he is seeking to gain absolute power to protect his son and in the Brothers Grimm version Rumpelstiltskin only wants to take the child away from the miller's daughter. I did however, love re-reading the story, The Mouse, The Bird and the Sausage. It was certainly a cute story to say the least but very sad in the end. I was absolutely heartbroken that essentially because the other stupid bird tried to convince the main bird that he was carrying most of the weight- thus leading to a disagreement about the balances of work. Ultimately leading to the swapping of tasks and because none of them knew what to do in their new tasks they either got eaten or killed. What a horrible way to end a story because for a majority of the story it definitely seemed like they had a good thing going for them. We seem to see an apparent theme of death in Brothers Grimm, at least from my perspective..... In the story, The Riddle, the princess is very adamant about being able to crack and solve any riddle thrown her way. With everyone who told her a riddle that could be solved, would eventually lose their head. The princess was also ready to go through extensive lengths to figure out the answer to a riddle by sneaking in on the prince who told her the final joke while he was sleeping and covering herself in a robe so she could disguise herself. Too bad, she was caught when she though she would get away with it.....haha serves her right. Overall, it is definitely refreshing to see a twist in simple short stories that you would completely expect a sappy, happy ending but that is not what you get at all. Prime example, Brothers Grimm version for Cinderella.....enough said.

Lord of the Railroads

Ok so for an alternate universe of Lord of the Rings, we have Lord of the Railroads. It is a western take on LOTR set in roughly 1880's. The main character would be a young general store clerk and well rounded nice guy named "Fred Oscar" but people call him Fred O. for short. This young man is a well liked man in his small town community of Shirefields, Oklahoma. His parents were even one of the first people to settle on this land way back like 20 years ago in the 1860's. However, due to very unforeseen circumstances, Fred O's parents mysteriously pass away and Fred O is left with an inheritance of stocks in a railroad company. When Fred O first finds out about these stocks he is very skeptical as his parents were not the type to invest in any big corporate railroad conglomerates. With his curiosity peaked, Fred O decides to attend a stockholders meeting for this railroad conglomerate all the way out in Chicago. He walks up to the corporate building which is a huge skyscraper of a building, of course skyscrapers at this time period are only like three stories tall however. It is here at this meeting though that our fateful hero Fred O learns about the railroad corporation's big plan to buy up all the land around Fred O's town and make a super railroad track that plows right throuhg it. Fred O is shocked to say the least and decides to talk to the head of the railraod company, a man named Samuel R. Omahn, but known to his underlings as S.R. Oman. This man looks pretty much exactly like Snidley Whiplash from Dudley Do Right (Pic Related).

Needless to say when S.R. Omahn hears Fred O's plea to not run a railroad though his town, S.R. Omahn pays no attention to him and shews him away. Fred O hurries back to his small town and calls a town meeting to tell his neighbors of this oncoming monstrosity. The town goes into full panic and tries to come up with a way to deter the railroad company. The town mayor, Grant Dolph, who is an old and wise mayor of the town, with a long white beard and a pointy hat, decides that it should be up to Fred O to talk to go on a quest to talk to the other share holders of the railroad company and convince them to not run a railroad through their town. If Fred O can turn enough of the share holders against S.R. Omahn then they can stop the production of the railroad all together. Mean while the other townsfolk will do every thing in their power to hinder constrution of the railroad. In one scene Grant Dolph will even blow up a bridge that the railroad is being built on whil shouting "You Shall Not Cross!" (I can't be exactly like LOTR and say pass, that would just be too cheesy).  That scene would definately be in the teaser trailer as well.
Personally, i feel this movie would be just as big a hit, if not bigger, than Lord of the Rings. Like who doesn't love a good western? Just look at Django Unchained, and True Grit. I would definately cast like Clint Eastwood as Mayor Grant Dolph, and probably Jeff Bridges as Samuel R. Omahn. COMING OUT THIS SUMMER!

Merlin (BBC TV Series)

So, I started watching the Merlin TV series the other day (only through season 2) and something about the first episode, after seeing it once already, stuck out to me.

And that was the witch that casts the curse on Uther, though I shouldn't say the witch I should say the witches circumstances. Now when you look at things from the witch's perspective you see a mother who just had seen her son executed before her eyes for practicing witchcraft, the way the show goes anything practicing or possessing magic related is punishable by execution.

Now it may seem as if I am rambling, but I do have a point. What brought the witch to curse Uther was human emotion; anger and the desire for revenge. Those emotions were caused by Uther himself, when he banned all magic which led to the execution of her son.

Which makes me wonder if magic was not outlawed would the witch have still tread the path she did? Would she have still sought revenge or expressed malice against Uther where there would be no reason to do so?

These Tales Are VERY Different

All of these Fairy Tales that we've read thus far have been nothing like the ones I grew up with. I'm guessing the main reason is because Disney has predominately taken over the story-telling for everyone in the later 20th and 21st century. It's funny how much the stories have changed over time. I don't know about you but the Grimm's Cinderella and Disney's Cinderella are two VERY different stories. No where in the movie do you see the ugly step sisters hacking off their toes and heels so that their feet could possibly fit in the glass slipper. There is this feeling that if Disney put that in there, Cinderella wouldn't be the highlight it is today. I don't know, just a hunch!
I find it interesting that some of the Grimm's stories never made it to a Disney version, such as Godfather Death. After reading the tale, it's clear why it was never made into a fun, happy movie. There is no happily ever after and the protagonist is not some innocent (stupid) female. Well you may ask, how did the foot hacking of Cinderella make the cut. Stories like Cinderella or Snow White, all of the gruesome parts can be removed and the end will still be a happy ending. When you have a story like Godfather Death, there is nothing possible to remove or even add to the story to make it better or even "PG".